harp on

Idioms  

1. Dwell on; talk or write about to a tedious and excessive extent. For example, She kept harping on the fact that she had no household help at all. This expression is a shortening of harp on the same string, meaning “to play the same note over and over.” It was first recorded in 1518.

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Example Sentences

Stewart continued to harp on a message he'd shared earlier the week, encouraging his fans not to despair.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2024

They can continue to harp on more consistent play calling, relying less on freelance offense.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2024

No use continuing to harp on something outrageous when one’s outrage falls straight into the void.

From Slate • May 13, 2023

“We speak on it and harp on it a lot with the interior guys, you know, like, ‘Is Chris getting double-teamed?’”

From Seattle Times • Feb. 8, 2023

She figures it does no good to harp on mistakes in a routine that’s over and done with when I’m trying to get my head ready for the next event.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Related Words

• dwell on
• nag